QUITO, (Reuters) – Ecuador has reached an agreement with an Indigenous community in the country’s Orellana province to end the group’s blockade of oil projects in the area, the ministry of energy and mining said yesterday.
Protests by the Waorani Kawymeno community that blocked access to the Ishpingo oil field in Orellana impacted output from the site starting on Monday and prompted state-run oil producer Petroecuador to declare a force majeure on the operations on Friday.
The protests in Orellana had cut oil output at Ishpingo by about 17,000 barrels per day.
A force majeure is the legal term for when a company cannot meet its contractual obligations because of acts beyond its control.
After “arduous conversations” with the Waorani Kawymeno, the ministry said a deal was reached that would restart drilling at Ishpingo over the next three days, though wells would start operating Saturday and thereby the force majeure would be lifted.
The ministry statement acknowledged that public works promised to the community by previous administrations had not been carried out.
The ministry vowed to mobilize machinery to start land clearing works, provide an internet connection for the community as well as deliver kits with food, awnings, blankets and medicine.
“We assume responsibility for correcting these omissions and ensuring that each community receives the attention and resources it deserves,” the ministry said in the statement.
In the past, Indigenous organizations have led protests that paralyzed the South American country for nearly two weeks as they attempted to stop extractive activities near their communities.